1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an anisotropic conductive film composition and a film including the same. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to an anisotropic conductive film composition including a thermoplastic resin and a thermosetting curing agent, and exhibiting superior quality, productivity, and operability.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) refers to a film-type adhesive having conductive particles dispersed in an insulating adhesive binder. As such, when the ACF is positioned between electrical components, the conductive particles may establish an electrical connection therebetween, and the insulating adhesive binder may flow away from the electrical components to provide an insulating coating around the resultant electrical connection. The ACF may be used in, e.g., liquid crystal displays (LCDs), chip-on-films (COFs), tape carrier packages (TCPs), printed circuit boards (PCBs), and so forth.
Conventional ACFs may include a binder, e.g., an epoxy-based binder or a phenol-based binder, mixed with a curing agent and conductive particles. However, the conventional binders may exhibit insufficient adhesive properties and a relatively low glass transition temperature, thereby imparting poor mechanical connection and adhesion reliability to the conventional ACF. Further, the conventional binders may fail to provide good quality and productivity when produced in large quantity. For example, the conventional binder may require high curing temperature and long curing time, thereby imparting low long-term reliability to the ACF. In another example, the conventional binder may have different flow properties with respect to the curing agent due to different rheology characteristic thereof, thereby causing either excessive generation of foam upon low curing rate or low conductivity upon high curing rate, which in turn, may result in either low reliability or low conductivity, respectively. Attempts have been made to use a thermoplastic-based binder. However, the conventional thermoplastic-based binder may exhibit low compatibility with curing agents, and reduced film strength and strain. Further, contraction/expansion of the thermoplastic-based binder may be difficult to control, thereby inhibiting curing at low temperatures and reducing reliability under hot and humid conditions.